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CATECHISM 



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Uniyersal Historj. 



EOB THE trSE OE 



SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES, 



BY WILLI \M MAYOR, LL. D. 

AUTHOR OF TRA.VELS, AND MANY 
OTHER POPULAR WORKS. 



With Alterations and Improvemeiits. 



New- York : 

PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WOOD & SONS^ 
NO. 261, PEARL-STREET; 

And Samuel S. Wood & Co. No. 212, Market-street, 
Baltimore. 

1819, 



65504 

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(COPY RIGHT SECURED. 



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PREFACE. 



HISTORY, which may be called the eye of retro- 
spective knowledge, and the mirror reflecting past 
ages, is so essentiall}' necessary in a system of liberal 
education, that it requires no apology for the following 
attempt, which is intended solely as an easy introduciion 
to the various extensive works which have been publish- 
ed on this valuable science. 

To furnish even a sketch of Universal History, within 
the limits prescribed, is as much as can be expected ; and 
indeed was attended with more trouble than if ampler 
scepe had been allowed, (/ompression is as difficult 
a ta«!k as any an author has to undergo ; yet it is indis- 
pensable for tender minds, and for the use of schools in 
general; where much is to be learned, one branch of 
knowledge must not occupy a disproportionate space to 
the rest, nor exclude what may be thought of equal or 
superior importance. 

WILLIAM MAYOR. 



CATECHISM 



OE 



Universal History^ ^c. 



DefinitionSf <&c. 

1. Q. WHAT is meantby History? 

A. In the general sense of the word, it 
signifies a faithful relation of facts and events, 
in chronological order. 

2. Q, Is not the knowledge of History in- 
dispensably necessary ? 

A. As it relates to whatever has passed in 
the world, and enables us to form our opin- 
ions, or to regulate our actions from the con- 
duct of those that have gone before us ; no 
study can be more instructive or useful* 



3. Q. How is history divided ? 

A. Considered with respect to the nature 
of its subjects, it may be divided into gener- 
al and particular ; with respect to time, into 
ancient and modern. 

4. Q,. What is ancient history ? 

A. It commences with the creation of the 
world, and is usually extended to the reign 
of Charlemagne, in the year 800. 

5. Q. What is modern history ? 

A. It begins with the year 800, and reach- 
es down to the present times. 

6. Q. But are there no other divisions of 
history ? 

A. Yes. History is very commonly con- 
sidered as being sacred or profane* 

7. Q. What is sacred history ? 

A. It is the history of religion before the 
birth of Jesus Christ, and is to be found on- 
ly in the Bible : ecclesiastical history, 
which is certainly a branch of sacred, treats 
of the establishment of the Christian relig- 
ion, and comprehends the lives, characters, 



and conduct of those who have promoted or 
opposed the doctrines of our Saviour. 

8. Q. What is profane history ? 

A. It includes the histories of all nations 
which are not written by inspired writers, 
and is subdivided into ancient and modern, 
which have already been explained. 



CHAP. L 

Sacred History- 

1. Q,. What history is most valuable ? 
A. Sacred history. 

2. Q. Whence is the knowledge of sa- 
cred history derived ? 

A. From the Scriptures, which teach us 
that there is but one God who is eternal, and 
that all things are the work of his hands. 

3. Q. When was the world created ? 

A. About 4004 years before the birth of 
Christ, and in the space of si& days ; when 



8 

God hallowed the seventh, and made it la 
daj of religious rest. 

4. Q. What were the names of the first 
man and woinan ? 

A. Auaai and Eve ; who, disobeying the 
posii ive cominind of their Maker, entailed 
death and niiserj on all their posterity. 

5. Q,. Was there not something very re- 
markable in the lives of the first men ? 

A. Their longevity : for we are told that 
most of them lived from 8 to 900 years. In 
consequence of this, probably, they became 
very wicked and depraved. 

6. Q. Did not God punish them for their 
sins ? 

A He punished them by a general del- 
uge, which took place 1656 years after the 
creation, and 2348 before Christ, and which 
destroyed all mankind, except Noah and his 
family, who were saved in an ark built by 
God's command, and with them two of eve- 
ry kind of living creatures. 

7. Q,. How many sons had Noah ? 



A. Three ; Shem, Ham, and Japhetfe, a° 
mong whom all the world was divided. From 
Shem the Hebrews were descended : Ham 
was worshipped by the Egyptians ; and the 
posterity of Japheth peopled the greatest 
part of the west. 

8. Q. When did the descendants of Noah 
begin to disperse ? 

A. On the confusion of tongues, which 
took place at the building of the tower of 
Babel, as a punishment for the arrogance of 
men, who thought of equalling themselves 
with the Supreme. 

9. Q. What important event happened 
next ? 

A. The calling of Abraham, who was or- 
dered to leave his kindred and country, and 
to go to the land of Canaan, in order that 
the worship of the one true God, might be 
preserved among men, who had already be- 
come grossly corrupted. 

10. Q,. Did the posterity of Abraham 
continue long in the land of Canaan ? 



10 

A. No. A famine prevailing in the l^nd, 
the patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, who was 
the son of Abraham, nugrated with their 
families into Egypt, where iheir brother Jo- 
seph had gone before, having been sold by 
them out of envy. 

11. Q. What happened to the descend- 
ants of Abraham in Egypt ? 

A. After a time, they became very nu- 
merous, and this exciting the jealousy of the 
rulers of the country, orders were given to 
destroy every male among them at its birth ; 
but Moses being providentially saved by the 
daughter of Pharaoh, and brought up in all 
the learning of Ey,ypt, was commissioned by 
God to bring his people out of bondage, and 
reinstate them in the land of Canaan. 

12. Q. Did Moi'es accomplish this ob- 
ject ? 

A. " With mighty power and with a 
stretched out arm," God delivered the Is- 
raelites by the hand of his servant Moses, 
who, by the same divine authority, gave them 



u 

laws and ordinances ; and this, which was 
called the Mosaic dispensation, was lo con- 
tinue till it was set aside by the Christian, 
or the appeariince of Christ in the flesh. 

13. Q,. Did the Jews always possess the 
knowledge of the one true God ? 

A. Though they frequently fell into idola- 
try, a portion among them always preserved 
the sublime truths that had been delivered 
to their forefathers ; a magnificent temple 
was erected at Jerusalem by Solomon, one 
of the kings of the Jews ; and in it the holy 
ceremonies were performed, by a distinct or- 
der of priests, the posterity of Aaron, v/ho 
were set apart for the service of God. 

14. Q,. Were not the Jews a favoured 
people ? 

A. Though they often provoked God, he 
did not leave them without a witness of him- 
self, sending them a succession of prophets, 
who foretold remote events, and announced 
in terms at first mysterious, but gradually 
more clear, the future birth of a Messiah, 



12 

who wag to give them a new and more per- 
fect law, and to abolish the rites and cere- 
monies established by Moses. 

15. Q. When was the Messiah predicted 
to appear ? 

A. After the tribe of Judah had lost its 
authority, and the nation had become sub- 
ject to the Romans ; and this accordingly 
took place in the reign of Augustus, and 
during a period of profound peace, a proper 
season for the " Prince of Peace" to ap- 
pear. 

16. Q,. Did not miracles accompany and 
follow the birth of Jesus Christ the Messi- 
ah ? 

A. Every circumstance attending this 
Divine Personage, who was God and man, 
was truly miraculous ; but though the wise 
men came from the East to worship him, his 
countrymen in general seem to have paid 
very little regard to his appearance. 



13 

17. Q. When did the public life of Jesus 
Christ commence ? 

A. Till about his thirtieth year, he had 
lived with his reputed parents, Joseph and 
Mary ; but at this age he entered on his 
ministry, which lasted only to his thirty- 
third year. 

18. Q. What were the principal acts 
of the public life of our Saviour, and the 
doctrines he taught ? 

A. He first chose twelve disciples from 
among the most humble and ignorant of the 
people, who accompanied him in his la- 
bours of love, and imbibed the doctrines 
which he taught ; namely, that he was 
the true Son of God ; that he came to call 
sinners to repentance ; that the dead must 
rise again, and be judged according to the 
works done in the body ; and that they who 
believe in his Name and obey his precepts, 
shall be everlastingly happy. In a word, 
the purity of his life corresponded with the 

2 



14 

purity of his doctrine, and'at last he sealed 
his testimony with his blood. 

19. Q,. What happened after his death ? 
A. On the third day he rose again, and 

after a stay of forty days on earth, during 
which he several times conversed with his 
apostles, instructing them how to act, he as= 
cended into heaven, and now sitteth at the 
right hand of God, "making intercession 
for us." 

20. Q,. How was the Christian religion 
afterwards propagated ? 

A. The apostles having received the 
Holy Ghost, dispersed abroad to spread the 
Gospel of Christ ; and by miracles confirm- 
ed the truth of their mission. The religion 
of Jesus thus rapidly spread over the world, 
and persecutions served only to establish it 
deep in the hearts of mankind. 

21. Q,. Are there not other religions ? 
A. Many, but they may all be referred 

to the Jewish, the Mahometan, and Pagan- 
ism. Christianity, however, alone, is cal- 



15 

culated to promote our best interests here, 
and our eternal happiness hereafter. 



CHAP. II. 
PROFANE HISTORY, 

ANCIENT. 

Egypt. 

1. Q. What was the first people that 
formed a regular government ? 

A. The Egyptians, whose history goes 
back almost to the Deluge. 

2. Q. Who was the first king of this 
country ? 

A. 'Menes, probably the Misraim of 
Scripture, who is said to have been the in- 
ventor of arts, and the civilizer of a large 
portion of the Eastern world. His first wife 
was Isis, long worshipped as a divinity. 



16 

3. Q,. What happened on the death of 
3Ienes ? 

A. Egypt was divided into four dynas- 
ties. Thebes, Thin, Memphis, and Tanais. 

4. Q,. What was the situation of Egypt 
after this ? 

A. Though it had obtained some degree 
of civilization, under a number of petty sov- 
ereigns, called shepherd-kings, it relapsed 
into barbarism, which continued till the 
reign of Sesostris, who united the several 
principalities into one kingdom ; and by poli- 
cy and conquest, rendered himself respect- 
ed at home and abroad, 
r 5. Q,. Were not the princes of the house 
of Pharoah a long time kings of Egypt ? 

A. They possessed the throne till Cam- 
byses, king of Persia, conquered that coun- 
try, about 525 years before Christ; and 
under them the Egyptians were the most 
polished people in the world, and made the 
greatest proficiency in learning and science. 

6. Q,. Mention some particulars for which 
the Egyptians were remarkable. 



17 

A. Their respect for their ancestors in- 
duced them to embalm their dead, hence the 
mummies still to be met with ; and in order 
that their kings might govern wisely and 
justly, they sat in judgment on their lives af- 
ter their death. They were great astrono- 
mers, mathematicians, and mechanics ; and 
their immense pyramids, probably the 
sepulchral monuments of their kings, are 
.still the wonder of the world. 

7. Q* How long did Egypt continue un- 
der the power of Persia? 

A. Till the Persian empire was conquer- 
ed by Alexander the Great ; after whose 
death it again became independent under 
the Ptolemies. 

8. Q,. When was Egypt reduced to the 
state of a Roman province ? 

A. On the death of Cleopatra, the wife 
and sister of Ptolemy Dionysius, the last 
king, about thirty years before the Christian 
era. 

2 * 



18 

9. Q. How long did this country remain 
under the dominion of the Romans ? 

A. About 700 years ; at the expiration 
of which it was conquered by the Saracens. 
In 15l7f the Turks made themselves mas- 
ters of it, who suffered the Mamelukes to 
govern it as dependent on the Ottoman em- 
pire. The French attempted to reduce it in 
1801 ; but were driven out by the English, 
under Sir Sidney Smith. 

10. Q. Is nothing known respecting the 
Ethiopians, whose country lies beyond 
Egjpt ? 

A. They are supposed to have been ori- 
ginally a colony of the Egyptians ; but their 
numbers, their strength, and their ferocity, 
soon made and kept them independent, and 
insulated from the rest of the world. 

Empire of Assyria, 

11. Q. Which was the most ancient em- 
pire ? 



19 

A. That of Assyria, so named from Ash- 
ur, the second son of Sham. 

12. Q,. Who succeeded Ashur ? 

A. Ninus, who seizing on Chaldea and 
Babylon, united them to his paternal domin- 
ions ; he is also said to have built the city 
of Nineveh, whose circumference was sixty 
miles, and to have conquered Persia, Egypt, 
and Media. 

13. Q. Who was his successor? 

A. His widow, the famous Semiramis, a 
woman of masculine courage and under- 
standing, who enlarged the city of Babylon, 
surrounding it with a wall 300 feet high. 

14. Q,. Did the fortune of her family con- 
tinue long ? 

A. No. Her son and successor, Ninyas, 
a weak and dissolute prince, lost the Medes, 
the Babylonians and the Persians, who re- 
volted from his power I 

15. Q,. When did the empire of Assyria 
end ? 

A. Under Sardanapalus, in whose reign 



the revolted nations attacked the empu'c on 
all sides ; and the effeminate monarch per- 
ceiving his affairs desperate, collected all 
his wealth into a pile in his palace, and set- 
ting fire to it with his own hand, perished 
with his family in the conflagration. This 
happened 626 years before Christ, after the 
Assyrian empire had lasted more than 1 000 
years. 

Empire of Persia. 

16. Q. Who was the founder of the Per- 
sian empire ? 

A. Cyrus the Great, about 600 years be- 
fore the birth of Christ. 

17. Q. Was this empire very powerful ? 

A. At its height it included India, Assy- 
ria, Media, Persia, and other adjacent coun- 
tries. 

18. Q, Who succeeded Cyrus ? 

A. His son Cambyses, the Artaxerxes of 
Scripture, who added Egypt to his empire. 



2i 

19. Q. By whom was Cambyses suc- 
ceeded ? 

A. By Darius Hystaspes ; who, called 
from private life to a throne, evinced a good 
disposition for governing ; but the luxury of 
his people, and their consequent effeminacy, 
prevented him from accomplishing his wish- 
es. 

20. Q,. Who next ascended the throne ? 
A. His son Xerxes ; who, bent on the con- 
quest of Greece, marched an immense army 
into that country; but being foiled in his at- 
tempts, he was at last murdered by his own 
subjects. 

21. Q. Did his successors perform any 
thing remarkable ? 

A. His son Xerxes Longimanus is famed 
for protecting the Jews, and restoring them 
to their own country ; but during several 
succeeding reigns, we find only turbulence 
and murder, till at last Darius Codamannus 
was placed on the throne by the intrigues of 
Bagoas, the eunuch, a son of Ochus HI. 



22 

22. Q. Was this emperor more fortunate r" 
A. No. In the second year of his reign 

he was attacked by Alexander the Great ; 
and losing the three battles of Granicus, Ci- 
licia, and Arbela, he was obliged to submit 
to the conqueror; when the empire of the 
Persians was transferred to the Greeks, after 
it had continued about 200 years, and 330 
years before the coming of Christ. 

23. Q,. Are there no other great empires 
mentioned in ancient history ? 

A. That of the Babylonians and Medes ; 
but they became incorporated in the other 
two empires, of which some account has 
been given, and therefore, are of less impor- 
tance. 

Greeks and Macedonians. 

24. Q. Did not the Greeks carry their 
history very high ? 

A. So high that it is lost in fable. Where 
heroes are transformed into gods, and im- 
mortalized by their poets, it is vain to look 



23 

for sober history. Before the siege of Troy, 
truth is mixed with fiction. 

25. Q,. Which was the most ancient 
kingdom of Greece ? 

A. Sicyon, whose first king is believed 
to be contemporary with Noah. 

26. Q,. When was the regal government 
'established in Argos ? 

A. About 1856 years before Christ, by 
Inachus, one of whose successors transferred 
the seat of government to Mycenae. 

27. Q. What happened to the kingdom 
of Argos in the sequel ? 

A. The Heraclidse, or descendants of 
Hercules, took possession of it, and of all 
the Peloponnesus. 

28. Q. At what time, and by whom, was 
the kingdom of Athens founded ? 

A. About 1600 years before Christ, by 
Cecrops, an Egyptian, who carried thither 
a colony from the banks of the Nile. About 
the same time Cadmus arrived in Boeotia, 
where he founded Thebes. 



24 

29. Ct. How long did the regal goveiii* 
ment subsist at Athens ? 

A. Nearly 500 years. Its last king was 
Codrus, who sacrificed his life for the wel- 
fare of his country ; on which, the Athenians 
chose nine magistrates, called Archons, 
out of the principal persons of the cilj. 
Their office, which at first was hereditary, 
afterwards underwent several changes, and 
at last became annual. 

30. Q. Were these changes brought about 
quietly ? 

A. No. The state was convulsed by 
them ; when Draco, who was elevated to 
the archonship 624 years before the Chris- 
tian era, endeavoured by the extreme sever- 
ity of his laws, which were said ^' to be writ- 
ten in blood," to repress disorders. About 
thirty years afterwards, Solon, one of the ] 
wisest and best of men, established a milder 
and more equitable system of jurisprudence. 

31. Q. Was not the republican form of 
governmeut subverted at Athens ? 



i 



25 

A. It was by Pisistratus, who usurped 
the supreme authorily, and which he and his 
posterity retained during the space of fifty 
years. 

32. Q. What was the next great revolu- 
tion ? 

A. By the unfortunate issue of the Pelo- 
ponnesian war, Athens sunk under the pow- 
er of the Spartans, who imposed thirty ty- 
rants on the Athenians, about 400 years be- 
fore Christ. 

33. Q. By whom were the Athenians ul- 
timately subdued ? 

A. By Philip, king of Macedon ; but by 
the assistance of the Romans, they after- 
wards, for a short time, recovered their lib- 
erties, though they were destined in the end 
to be swallowed up by that victorious na- 
tion. 

34. Q. Who founded the kingdom of 
Sparta ? 

A- Laelex, who made the Spartan or La- 
cedemonian government monarchial. 

3 



26 

35. Q. Who founded the other Grecian 
states ? 

A. Perseus built the city of Mycenae, 
and Pelops, that of Ells. 

36. Q,. What occasioned the Trojan 
war? 

A. The rape of Helen, wife of Menelaus, 
by Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy ; which 
city was reduced to ashes 11 84 years before 
Christ, after standing a ten year's siege. 

37. Q. Who was the most celebrated 
legislator of the Spartans ? 

A. Lycurgus, who abridged the regal 
power, by the institution of a senate. About 
130 years after his demise, five Ephori were 
annually elected by the people, with exten- i 
sive powers to curb the senate. 

38. Q. To whom did the Lacedemon- | 
ians submit? 

A. Sparta, with the other Grecian states, 
fell first under the power of the Macedon- 
ians, and at last under the Romans. 

39. Q,. Who were the seven wise men of 
Greece ? 



27 

A. Solon, the Athenian ; Bias, of Prienne ; 
Chilo, of Lacedeaionia ; Cleobulos, of Lin- 
da ; Thales, the Milesian ; Pittacus, of My- 
tilene ; and Periander, tyrant of Corinth. 

40. Q,. Who founded the kingdom of 
Macedon ? 

A. Caranus an Argive ; but it was of in- 
ferior rank, till Phihp conquering all Greece 
in the battle of Cheronea, subjected all its 
states to his dominion. 

41. Q,. Was the Macedonian power of 
long duration ? 

A. Alexander the Great, the son of Phil- 
ip, subduing Persia and India, carried the 
Macedonian power to the highest pitch of 
elevation ; but dying of a debauch at Baby- 
lon, in the thirty-lhird year of his age, and 
the thirteenth of his reign, his dominions and 
conquests were divided among four of his 
greatest generals, namely. Ptolemy, Lysim- 
achus, Cassander, and Seleucus. Macedon, 
however, continued an independent king- 
dom, till it was reduced to a Roman prov- 
ince, 168 years before Christ. 



28 

The Romans, 

4*2. Q,. From whom did the Romans re- 
ceive their origin ? 

A. From Romulus, who founded Rome 
7*53 years before Christ, and peopled it with 
vagabonds, slaves, and criminals of the male 
sex onlj, in consequence of which, they 
made war on the Sabines, and carried off 
their women. 

43. Q. Did the kingly power continue 
long at Rome ? 

A. Through seven reigns, but the only 
distinguished king, except Romulus, was 
Numa, who introduced laws and religion. 

44. Q,. Wtiat put an end to the regal au- 
thority ? 

A. The dishonour of Lucretia, a Roman 
matron, by Brutus, the son of Tarquin, the 
last king of Rome, which irritated the peo- 
ple to such a degree, that they drove out 
the whole family. 

45. Q. What happened on the expulsion 
of the kings ? 



29 

A. A republican form of government was 
established, under two magistrates, aiinually 
elected, called Consuls, whose office con- 
sisted in superintending Ihe rites of religion, 
in controlling the finances, in levying and 
commanding armies, and in presiding at pub- 
lic assemblies. 

46. Q,. Had not the Romans occasionally 
an officer of still higher authority ? 

A. In periods of imminent danger, they 
chose a Dictator, whom they invested with 
a temporary despotism. 

47. Q,. Was there not a description of 
magistrates called Tribunes of the People T 

A. The people being dissatisfied with 
their share in the government, were allowed 
to choose five magistrates, called Tribunes, 
whose number was afterwards increased to 
ten, and whose office consisted in defending 
the oppressed, and in bringing the enemies 
of the people to justice. 

48. Q,. Who were the Decemviri ? 

A. They were ten persons elected for the 
3* 



30 

instifutlon of new laws, and invested with 
absolinV piwer for one year. Appius 
CIrtiidius, one of the number, attempted to 
render the office perpetual ; but the people 
punished ttie meditated usurpation, and res- 
tored the consular and tribunitian power, 
which had been set aside under the Decem- 
viri. 

49. Q. Did not the Gauls plunder Rome? 
A. In the year of the city 394, the Gauls, 

under their leader Brennus, invaded Italy, 
took and plundered Rome, and afterwards 
laid it in ashes. 

50. Q,. Were not the Romans, however, 
gradually extending their power i 

A. Rome had scarcely risen from its 
ashes, when the people subdued many of the 
neighbouring nations ; and in less than 500 
years from its foundation by Romulus, they 
made themselves masters of all Italy. 

51. Q. Who were the Carthaginians ? 
A. A powerful and very commercial peo- 
ple on the coast of Africa, where Tunis now 



31 

lies, who became the rivals of Rome, and 
therefore were regarded as enemies. 

52. Q. What occasioned the first Punic, 
or Carthaginian war? 

A. The Carthaginians having granted as- 
sistance to the enemies of Rome, war was 
declared against them, and twice a peace 
having been made and broken between the 
rival states, in the third war, Carthage was 
plundered and levelled with the ground, 
about 146 years before Christ, when the 
Roman empire extended over Greece, Afri- 
ca, Syria, and all the kingdoms of Asia Mi- 
nor, exclusive of Europe. 

53. Q. How long did the republican form 
of government continue after this ? 

A. Pompey and Caesar having both ob- 
tained the highest dignities, and neither be- 
ing willing to own a superior, Caesar who 
had been victorious in Gaul and Britain, be- 
ing made dictator, set out in pursuit of his 
rival, Pompey, who was attended by the 
senate and consuls ; and meeting him in the 



32 

plains of Pharsalia, in Thessalj, the conflict 
began ; when Cassar proving victorious, be- 
came master of the liberties of Rome, 43 
years before the birth of Christ- , 

54. Q. Did the Romans tamely submit 
to his power ? 

A. All opposition was ineffectual. Csesar 
made himself absolute ; but at last was assas- 
sinated in the Senate-house by the machi- 
nations of Brutus and Cassius. 

bb» Q. Did the Romans on this recover 
their former liberties by the death of Cae- 
sar ? 

A. No. Octavius his nephew, having got 
rid of every competitor^ had the titles of 
Emperor and AugU!?tus conferred on him by 
the senate, and became sole master of the 
Roman empire, 31 years before Christ. 

56. Q,. Was not x\ugustus a great and 
powerful prince ? 

A. By his address and the arts of insinu- 
ation, he rendered despotism supportable to 
the Romans ; and extended the empire from 



33 

the Rhine and the Danube on the north, io 
the Euphrates on the east ; and from the At- 
lantic Ocean on the west, to the deserts of 
Arabia and Africa on the south. In this 
reign lived the most illustrious of the Koman 
classical writers. 

57. Q. By whom was Augustus succeed- 
ed ? 

A. His immediate successor was Tiber- 
ius, a man infamous for every vice ; then 
Caius Caligula assumed the purple, who in 
mockery of the Roman people, made bis 
horse consul : to Caligula, who was assassi- 
nated, succeeded Claudius, who made an 
expedition in(o Britain ; but at last was poi- 
soned by the empress Agrippina, in order 
that the diadem might descend to her son, 
the execrable Nero, one of the most cruel 
tyrants that ever disgraced or degraded hu- 
man nature; who was finally his own execu- 
tioner. ^ 

58. Q,. Who were the successors of Nero? 
A. First, Galba, who on account of his 



34 

cruelty and injustice was assassinated ; then 
Otbo, who reigned only three months; and, 
thirdly, Vitellus, whose reign was likewise 
very short ; and who was succeeded by 
Vespasian, called to rule in advanced age, 
in compliment to his distinguished merit. 

59. Q. To whom did Vespasian leave 
the empire ? 

A. To his son Titus, " the delight of 
mankind," of whom it was said, that il had 
been good for the Romans if he had never 
been born, or rather that he had never died. 
Titus was succeeded by his brother Domi- 
tian, a monster of cruelty and vice. He was 
the last of the twelve Csesars, as they are 
called. 

60. Q,. Did the imperial power end here ? 
A. No. Nerva received the purple from 

the assassins of DoQiitian, who adopted 
Trajan, a prince possessed of every quality 
that could adorn a throne. His kinsman 
Adrian was the successor of Trajan, who 
adopted the philosophic Antoninus, and who 



35 

left the crown to Marcus A.urelius, his son- 
in-law ; but afterwards Commodus, his own 
son, assumed the purple, only to show how 
unworthy he was of elevated rank. He was 
followed by Ferlinax, who rose by his vir- 
tues alone. 

61. Q. What happened on the death of 
Pertinax ? 

A. The Prcetorian bands, or imperial 
guards, now took upon them to expose the 
empire to sale, and it was purchased by 
Severus. It would be uninteresting to go 
through the whole catalogue of emperors, 
who rose or fell as the soldiers were inclin- 
ed. It may be proper, however to particu- 
larize Dioclesian, who divided the imperial 
dominions into four parts, over which presi- 
ded two emperors and two Csesars ; and 
Constantino the Great, who was born in 
Britain, and who removed the seat of empire 
from Rome to Byzantium, to which he gave 
Jhe name of Constantinople. 
p €2. Q. Was not the Roman empire final- 



36 

\y divided into two, the eastern and the 
western ? 

A. It was by Theodosius ; whose son Ar- 
cadius reigned in tlie east, as his son Hon- 
orius did in the west. 

63. Q,. How long after this did the em- 
pires last ? 

A. The barbarians pressing the western 
on all sides, and the Romans being sunk into 
effeminacy, an end was put to it by the 
Goths and Huns, in the reign of Auguslulus, 
who was compelled to resign the imperial 
dignity, in the year of Christ 476. The 
eastern empire, however, continued till 1453, 
when Constantinople was taken by Mahom- 
et H. the Sultan of Turkey, aud the Ro- 
man empire and people lost their names. 
Since that time, the popes, have had 
both temporal and spiritual power in 
Rome, and the Turks in Constantinople ; 
though it is probable that the dominion of 
the latter is likewise approaching its close. 



37 

CHAP. IIL 

PROFANE HISTORY. 

MODERN. 

The Germanic Empire, 

1. Q. What kingdoms or states wer^ 
formed on the extinction of the Roman pow- 
er in the west? 

A. It is impossible to enumerate all the 
changes that took place. Amidst dark ages 
and barbarous nations^ history records littlQ 
else than ignorance and crimes. 

2. Q. Who affected to be the representa< 
tives of the ancient Romania ? 

A. The emperors of Germany, whose 
eldest son, or heir, was usually elected king 
of the Romans, as a preliminary step to his 
succession to the empire. 

3. Q,. But were there not many indepen- 
dent states in Germany ? 

A. Before the late subversioHi Germany 
4 



38 

contained not fewer than 300 sovereign prin- 
ces, independent in their own dominions, 
but forming one political body, which re- 
cognised the emperor as its head. 

4. Q,. By whom was the emperor of Ger- 
many formerly elected ? 

A. By six secular and three ecclesiastical 
princes. 

5. Q,. From whom do the present impe- 
rial family derive their origin ? 

A. From Rodolph, count of Hapsburg, 
who, by his bravery and address, added sev- 
eral extensive countries to the empire, and 
formed a plan of aggrandizement, which his 
family long pursued. 

6. Q,. Who was the first emperor, after 
the dignity became elective ? 

A. Conrade, count of Franconia, who died 
919, and was succeeded by Henry, surnam- 
ed the Fowler, a prince of considerable tal- 
ents ; and who again was succeeded by his 
son Otho I. the most powerful prince of his 
age, and justly named the Great* 



39 

r. Q,. Have not more than one emperor 
obtained the title of Great ? 

A. Yes. Henry IV. was likewise com- 
plimented with this addition. He ascend- 
ed the throne in 1056, when only an infant, 
and had to maintain a perpetual struggle 
with the popes, at that time the terror and 
the scourge of princes, and to whom his 
son Henry V. disgracefully surrendered the 
right of investiture. 

8. Q. By whom was Henry V. succeed- 
ed ? 

A. By Lothario, duke of Saxe Suplem- 
bourg ; but in the reign of his successor, 
Conrade HI. the sovereignty was disputed 
by the dukes of Bavaria, whose family name 
was Guelph, while the emperor's general 
was a native of Heighibelin ; and this cir- 
cumstance gave rise to the Guelphs and 
Ghibellines, the former of which espoused 
the interest of the pope, the latter of the 
emperor. 

9. Q. Did not Frederick Barbarossa reign 
about this time ? 



40 

A. He followed Conrade III. to whoiii 
he was nephew, and justified the choice that 
had been made of him. His son Henry VI. 
imitated his example ;but Frederick II. the 
next emperor, losi all the acquisitions of his 
predecessors, and submitted to the influence 
of the pope. In 1338, however, the Frag^ 
matic Sanction was established, which de- 
clared that the pope had no right to inter- 
fere in the election of an emperor. 

10. Q. When did the Netherlands be- 
come a part of the empire ? 

A. In the reign of Maximilian I. about 
which time, Germany was divided into Cir- 
cles. 

11. Q. By whom was Maximilian suc- 
ceeded ? 

A. By Charles V. the most illustrious of 
all the emperors of Germany, and whose 
power extended over both hemispheres ; but 
becoming disgusted with the world, he re- 
signed the empire to his brother Ferdinand, 
and the kingdom of Spain to his son Phil- 
ip u. 



41 

12. Q,. What remarkable events happeu- 
ed in the reign of Leopald I. ? 

A. He concluded the peace of Westpha- 
lia, and saw his capital Vienna, which had 
been besieged by the rebellious Hungarians, 
aided by the Turks, relieved by the cour- 
age of Sobieski, king of Poland. His son 
and successor, Joseph 1. who mounted the 
imperial throne in 1705, in conjunction with 
the allies, carried on a successful war a- 
gainst France. 

13. Q. What happened after the death of 
Charles VI. ? 

A. This emperor having no male issue, 
the Austrian dominions devolved on Maria 
Theresa, whose husband, Francis I. grand 
duke of Tuscany, was finally raised to the 
imperial dignity, after the death of Charles 
VII. elector of Bavaria, who had interme- 
diately swayed the sceptre. 

14. Q,. Who succeeded Francis I. ? 

A. Joseph II. a wise and benevolent 
prince, on whose death, without issue, his 
4 # 



42 

brother Leopold II. duke of Tuscany, was 
elevated to the imperial dignity, in 1790 ; 
and in less than two years, left the throne to 
his son Francis 11. 

15. Q. Has not the reign of this emperor 
been very eventful ? 

A. Beyond any thing that can be named 
in the annals of Germany. Embarking ear* 
ly in the confederacy against France, and 
being unsuccessful, by the treaty of Campo 
Formio, he was obliged to cede the Nether- 
lands to that power. The war being again 
renewed with uo better success, was termi- 
ted by the peace of Luneville. Another 
coalition was formed to resist the insatiate 
ambition of Bonaparte, and fortune being 
still in the favour of that general, the emper- 
or was obliged to conclude the treaty of 
Presburg, and to make many fresh sacrifi- 
ces. Again the flame of war spread over the 
plains of Germany, and new victories at- 
tended the French. 



43 

16. Q. la there no other circumstance 
connected with this reign that is worthy of 
remark ? 

A. Bonaparte obliged Francis I. to re- 
nounce the dignity of emperor of Germany, 
and he is now only emperor of Austria ; (by 
the confederation of the Rhine, Bonaparte 
enjoyed more power over the states, than 
€ver belonged to their legitimate emperors.) 

France. 

17. Q. What was the ancient name of 
France ? 

A. Gaul ; and it received the name of 
France from the Franks, a German tribe, 
who, under Clovis, established the French 
monarchy. Clovis died in 511. 

18. Q. What happened on his death ? 
A- A civil war arose between his sons, 

hi^ successors, who could not agree in 
their division of the kingdom. And at length 
P<^pin, mayor of the palace, assumed the 
fioyereignty, and transmitted it to posterity. 



44 

19. Q,. Who was his successor ? 

A. Charlemagne, who, on the demise of 
his brother Carloman, became sole monarch 
of France ; and during a long and illustrious 
reign of 45 years, extended his dominion 
over the greatest part of Europe, and was 
crowned at Rome in 800. 

20. Q. Did not Charlemagne bestow the 
city of Rome, and great temporal power on 
the pope ? 

A. He did ; and these gifts were never 
wholly resumed till the present time, when 
after the lapse of 1000 years, Bonaparte 
as pretended successor to Charlemagne, 
thought proper to claim the inheritance. 

21. Q. How long did the posterity of 
Charlemagne fill the throne ? 

A. Till 987 ; when Hugh Capet, a potent 
chief, obtained possession of the sovereign 
power ; and thus founded the third dynasty 
of kings in this country. 

22. Q,. Name some of the most memora- 
ble events which took place in the succeed- 
ing reigns. 



45 

A. The Crusades, which commenced in 
the reign of Philip I. at the persuasion of 
Peter the Hermit, and with the approbation 
of pope Urban; ihe institution of Parliaments, 
under the reign of Phihp IV. surnamed the 
Fair, who left an only daughter, and in whom, 
in consequence of the Salic law, which ex- 
cludes females, the direct line of Capet end- 
ed, and Philip de Valois, the next male heir, 
was raised to the throne in 1328 ; the claim 
made to the French crown by Edward III. 
of England, and the battle of Cressy, gained 
by that monarch. 

23. Q. Was this claim allowed ? 

A. Henry V. of England, having gained 
the battle of Agincourt, in 1420, a treaty 
was concluded, by which his son, the unfor- 
tunate Henry VI. was crowned king of 
France, at Paris ; but towards the close of 
that century, the French recovered from the 
English all their possessions in that country, 
much to the happiness of both nations. 

24. Q. in whose reign did Joan of Arc 
live I 



46 

A. This pretended prophetess, who was 
afterwards inhumanly burnt for sorcerj, 
distinguished herself in the reign of Charles 
VII. and was principally instrumental in de- 
livering her country from the English. 

25. Q. Did not civil commotions agitate 
France soon after this period ? 

A. For thirty years, France was harass- 
ed by civil wars, which began in the reign 
of Francis II. and which were occasioned 
by attempts to extirpate the Protestants, or 
Hugonots, as they were called. At length, 
in the reign of Charles IX. religious fury; 
broke out in all its violence, aud on the evcj 
of St. Bartholomew, 1572, about 70,000 
Protestants were murdered by the order of' 
that execrable monster. 

26. Q,. In whom ended the line of Va-) 
lois ? 

A. In Henry III. when Henry IV. of the 
house of Bourbon, ascended the throne, and 
proving one of the best and most amiable of 1 
princes, justly obtained the title of Great ; 
hut fell by the hand of a fanatic, in 1610. 



47 

27. Q. When was absolute government 
established in France ? 

A. In the reign of Louis XIII. his minis- 
ister Richlieu, in order to put an end to the 
disorders which prevailed, had recourse to 
this bold measure : and the fetters which had 
beenforged, were riveted under Louis XIV. 
a man of the most restless spirit, and un- 
bounded ambition ; but, who, after a series 
of defeats by the English and their confed- 
erates, was obliged to conclude the peace 
of Rhyswick. 

28. Q. Who succeeded Louis XIV. 

A. This prince, who, notwithstanding his 
ambition, had some great and splendid qual- 
ities, was succeeded by his great-grandson, 
Louis XV. an effeminate monarch ; and up- 
on his demise in 1774, his grandson Louis 
XVI. mounted the throne, and expiated the 
crimes and follies of his predecessors, by 
falling under the stroke of the guillotine, 
Jan. 21, 1793 ; while a few months after, his 
queen, Maria Antoinetta of Austria, shared 



48 

llie same fate, in consequence of one of the 
most tremendous revolutions that had ever 
agitated and afflicted the human race. 

29. Q,. What happened after this ? 

A. Royalty being abolished, and Christi- 
anity abjured, a republic was established, 
which waged a successful war with the prin- 
cipal powers of Europe, at the same time 
that it was torn with intestine divisions, and 
disgraced by attrocities that make the heart 
shudder to contemplate. 

30. Q. Was the republic of long dura- 
tion ? 

A. After various modifications, in which 
the name of liberty was prostituted to th& 
most unworthy purposes of faction, and de- 
luges of blood had been spilt, it having been 
found that the theories of a free government 
which had been formed, were incompatible 
with practice, Bonaparte, a successful 
and enterprising general of the revolution, 
seized on the executive power under the 
tttle of first Consul, and associated two oth- 



49 

«r9 Vitb him, in name, but without au- 
thority. 

31. Q,. Was he satisfied with this ? 

A. No. He assumed the title of Em- 
peror of the French, and king of Italy, 
established a military government, restored 
the profession of Christianity in France, and 
many civil institutions, which the frenzy of 
the revolution had abolished ; he carried his 
arms from one side of the continent of Eu- 
rope to the other, and dictated terms of 
peace to every country, except Great Brit- 
ain ; and in short, like Attila, who was named 
the scourge of God, seemed destined to ef- 
fect some great purposes of Providence, 
which are at present inscrutable to mortals. 

The crowned heads of Europe, formed an 
alliance against France, in 1814 ; after many 
battles being fought with various success, 
Bonaparte was at length compelled to abdi- 
cate the regal dignity in 1815, and Louis 
XVIII. the present king, was raised to the 

5 



50 



throne. Bonaparte is now held a captive 
on the island of St. Helena. 

England* 

32. Q. How many grand epochs are there 
in the history of England ? 

A. Six. The Roman invasion, the es- 
tablishment of the Saxons, the introduction 
of Christianity, the Norman conquest, the 
Reformation, and the Revolution. 

Ireland. 

33. Q,. By whom was Ireland first peo- 
pled ? 

A. This is wholly lost in fable and tradi- 
tion. The Irish antiquaries carry their his- 
tory up to 500 years before the Christiao 
era. Certain it is, that Christianity was early 
introduced here, and that learning was not 
unknown among the Irish, iu what are called 
the dark ages. 

34. How was this island governed ? 

A. By a number of petty kings, the dis- 



51 

union of whom, made them an easy prey to 
invaders. The Danes frequently made in- 
cursions and settlements. Henry II. of En- 
gland, in 1172, annexed Ireland to his do- 
minions, by the submission of its chiefs, 
though it continued to have a parliament of 
its own till the commencement of the pres- 
ent century, when it became part of (he uni- 
ted kingdom. 

Scotland. 

35. Q,. By whom was Scotland first peo- 
pled ? 

A. On this subject historians are not 
agreed, though they all admit the Scotch to 
be a very. ancient nation. We find, howev- 
er, that in this country, were early, two dis- 
tinct tribes, the Scots, or men of the hills, 
and the Picts, or men of the plains, who 
were united into one monarchy by Ken- 
neth II. about the middle of the ninth cen- 
tury, when Scotland became the name of the 
whole kingdom. 



52 

36. Q,. Were there not frequent wars be- 
tween Scotland and England ? 

A. They were not only frequent, but 
bloody, to the misery and ruin of both na- 
tions. 

Sr. Q. Did not Edward I. of England at- 
tempt to annex Scotland to his dominions ? 

A. Availing himself of the dissensions of 
that part of the island, he made great pro- 
gress in his designs ; but was baffled by Sir 
William Wallace, and by king Robert 
Bruce, who mounted the throne 1307. 

38, Q. By whom was Robert Bruce suc- 
ceeded ? 

A. By his son, David, whom Edward III. 
took prisoner, and carried into England ; and 
was himself succeeded by Robert II. grand- 
son of the great Robert Bruce, and the first 
of the house of Stuart. 

39. Q,. Mention any remarkable passa- 
ges in the lives of his successors. 

A. Robert III. was obliged to resign his 
government into the hands of the duke of 



53 

Albany. James I. who had been detained 
prisoner in England, on ascending the throne 
in 14'21, behaved with great wisdom and 
policy, but was assassinated by his nobles. 
James II. was bold and absolute, but im- 
proved his kingdom. James IV. who was 
much beloved by his people, was slain in 
the rash engagement at Flodden Field. 
James V. had a long but turbulent reign, and 
was succeeded by Mary, whose beauty, in- 
trigues, and misfortunes, form an ample page 
in history, and who was beheaded in En- 
gland, 1587. 

40. Q,. By whom was Mary succeeded ? 
A. By her son, James VI. of Scotland ; 

and who, on the death of queen Elizabeth, 
mounted the throne of England, by the title 
of James I. from which period, both parts 
of the island have obeyed one sovereign. 

41. Q,. But were the kingdoms united ? 
A. Not till the reign of queen Anne, in 

1707, when England and Scotland were con- 

5* 



solidated into one kingdom^ undet the uamo 
of Great Britain. 

Spain* 

42. Q. What revolutions took place in 
Spain before the different kingdoms were 
united ? 

A. On the decline of the Roman power, 
Spain became a prey to the Suevi, the Van- 
dals, and the Alani. Adolphus, king of the 
Goths, subdued them, and founded the king- 
dom of the Visigoths, in 411, which contin- 
ued till ri2, when Spain was conquered by 
the Saracens. At length, in the 15th cen- 
tury, an union of the different states or king- 
doms, took place under Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella, in whose reign, and under whose au- 
spices, Columbus discovered America. 

43. Q. Who succeeded Ferdinand ? 

A. His grandson, Charles V. who aftet 
filling Europe with his fame, resigned the 
crown to his sod, Philip II. a gloomy and 
vindictive tyrant, who united Portugal to his 



5d 

dominions, but who lost the seven provinces 
of the Netherlands, in 1579. 

44. Q,. Name the principal events in the 
reigns of his successors. 

A. Under Philip IV. Portugal rebelled, 
and established its independence. Under 
his successor, Philip V. the first of the 
house of Bourbon, extensive wars involved 
Europe, which were composed by the treaty 
of Utrecht. Charles III. entered in^o the 
famous family compact, and waged an une- 
qual war with England. Charles IV. at first 
made a remonstrance against the French 
revolutionists; but changing sides, he be- 
came a vassal to France, till Bonaparte, 
taking advantage of his weakness, carried 
both him and his son, now styled Ferdinand 
VII. prisoners into France, and gave the 
kingdom to his brother Joseph, who has since 
been deposed, and Ferdinand restored to 
bis throne. 

Portugal. 

45. Q. What is the present sitiiatioo of 
Portugal ? 



A. This country, the ancient Lusitania, 
has undergone many revolutions, and has al- 
ways had to maintain an unequal struggle for 
its independence. The reigning family, 
driven out by the generals of Bonaparte, has 
been forced to take shelter in Brazil, 
where the throne is now fixed. 

Sweden, 

46. Q. Does the early history of Sweden 
present any thing remarkable ? 

A. As is usual among uncivilized nations, 
we find little very interesting, except revo- 
lutions and massacres. At length Sweden, 
Denmark, and Norway, were united under 
Margaret Walderaar, by the treaty of Cal- 
mar, 1387. 

47. Q. Did not the Swedes recover their 
national independence ? 

A. Yes. Gustavus Vasa, a descendant 
of the ancient kings, recovered the liberty 
of his country, in 1544, and the states made 
the crown hereditary in his family. 



57 

48. Q,. What remarkable events distin- 
guished the reigns of his successors 1 

A' Gustavus Adolphus, a most illustrious 
prince, was killed at the battle of Lutzen, 
1632 ; his daughter Christiana, resigned the 
crown in favour of her cousin, Charles Gus- 
tavus ; Charles XII. one of the most extra- 
ordinary men that the world ever saw, clos- 
ed his mortal career at the siege of Freder- 
icshall, in 1718; Gustavus III. though he 
bad sworn to preserve the liberties of the 
Swedes, in violation of his oath, rendered 
himself absolute, and was assassinated at a 
masked ball, in 1792. On his death, his 
Bon Gustavus IV. ascended the throne, but 
was in 1810 deposed, and Charles XIII. 
succeeded, who dying in 1818, left the crown 
to Bernadotte, the present king, who reigns 
under the title of Charles XIV. 

Denmark, 

47. Q,. la the early history of Denmark 
interesting ? 



58 

A. The history of the Danes at an early 
period presents nothing but piracy and rap- 
ine, and is necessarily obscure till the reign 
of Margaret Waldenaar, who united in her 
own person, the crowns of Sweden, Den- 
mark and Norway; though the former was 
again separated from the latter, about the 
beginning of the sixteenth century. 

50. Q,. Who is the present sovereign of 
Denmark ? 

A. Christian VIII. who both as king, and 
as regent in the life of his imbecile father, 
has had the address to preserve his country 
in a great measure, in peace. 

Poland. 

51. Q. Is Poland now a kingdom ? 

A. No. It was partitioned in 17*95, un- 
der the reign of Stanislaus Augustus, by the 
courts of Russia, Berlin, and Vienna ; and, 
since that time has undergone farther chan- 
ges, by the victories of the French over the 
Austrians and the Prussians. 



59 

52. Q,. Was not its form of government 
very faulty ? 

A. Being an elective monarchy, its no- 
bles were constantly the dupes of foreign or 
domestic intrigues ; yet, with all its defects, 
under John Sobieski, the greatest of its 
sovereigns, it made a distinguished figure 
among the European powers. 

Prussia. 

53. Q,. When was Prussia erected into a 
kingdom T 

A. This country, formerly a marquisate, 
and then an electorate, was raised to a regal 
government, in ITOI, by Frederick, son to 
Frederick William, surnamed the Great, 
who had paved the way to the attainment of 
this dignity, and who was succeeded by his 
son of the same name, a wise and politic 
prince. 

54. Q. By whom was this Frederick 
William succeeded ? 

A. By his son^ Frederick II. a great and 



60 

warlike king, who filled all Europe with the 
terror of his arms, while he cultivated the 
arts of peace occasionally, with no less suc- 
cess. He left the throne to his nephew, 
Frederick Williaoi II. a weak and unprin- 
cipled prince, who dying in 1797, was suc- 
ceeded by Frederick William III. 

55. Q. What is the state of this country 
at present ? 

A. The Prussians were unfortunate in the 
coalitions against France, A. D. 1792, and 
1805, and were reduced to subjection under 
that nation in 1807; but by the persever- 
ance and courage of the gallant Blucher in 
opposing Bonaparte, they regained their 
former independence. 

Russia. 

^6. Q. Is not Russia a new country f 

A. Russia, formerly known by the old 

pame of Muscovy, is comparatively a new 

country, and did not reach any considerable 

degree of civilization, till about a century 



61 

ago ; tliough its power and resources notiF 
entitle it to a high rank among the European 
nations. 

57. Q By whom was the title of Czar of 
this country first assumed ? 

A. By John Basilowitz, in 1486, after 
having liberated Russia from the dominion 
of the Tartars. 

58. Q. Does the Russian history begin 
to be interesting from this period ? 

A. By no means. We read only of ty- 
rannical governors and barbarous subjects, 
during a succession of reigns ; for it was not 
till the time of Peter the Great, that Russia, 
began to assume its consequence. 

59. Q Will you mention some of the pas- 
sages in the life of Peter the Great ? 

A. It would be impossible to give even an 
outline of his history. That he might im- 
prove his people, and instruct them in the 
knowledge and arts of other nations, he trav- 
elled into the different countries of Europe, 
and worked as a common ship-carpenter, both 

6 



62 

in Holland and England. He was the first 
that assumed the title of emperor; he built 
Petersburg, which he made the capital, in* 
stead of Moscow, extended his dominions 
by various conquests ; and, in a word, was 
one of the most extraordmary men that ever 
appeared on the theatre of the world. 

60. Q. Who was his successor? 

A. His widow, Catherine, whom he had 
promoted to his throne, though a poor peas- 
ant, on account of the talents she displayed ; 
and she proved worthy of his choice. 

61. Q. By whom was Catharine succeed- 
ed ? 

A. By Peter U. grandson of Peter the 
Great, who performed nothing very remark- 
able ; but who was followed by Ann, duch- 
ess of Courland, an empress of considerable 
energy of character, and whose reign was 
successful. 

62. Q,. Name the successor of Ann. 

A, John, son to her niece, Catherine ; 
but who being deposed and murdered in 



63 

1740, Elizabeth, second daughter of Peler 
the Gieat, was elevated to the throne, and 
swayed the sceptre with glory. 

63. Q. By whom was Elizabeth succeed- 
ed ? 

A. By her nephew, the duke of Holstein, 
who took ihe ti.le of Peter III. but was soon 
deposed by his consort, Caiharine, and put 
to death. 

64. Q,. What happened then? 

A. A faction which she had taken care to 
form, raised Caiharine, ihe second of that 
name, to the throne, which she filled with 
glory, as far as conquest, and national im- 
provement, warrant the expression ; but her 
vices as a woman, were degrading to her sex, 
and the policy by which her relation with 
foreign powers was regulated, was often 
detestable. Yef it must be observed, that 
Russia has generally been most fortunate 
under female reigns. 

65. Q. Who was Catharine IL's success- 
or ? 



64 

A. Her son, Paul Petrowitz, who, from 
natural weakness, or depravity of heart, act- 
ing the part of a capricious tyrant, was depo- 
sed and murdered, 1801, and his son, Alex- 
ander Paulowitz, raised to the throne. 

66. Q,. What is the present state of this 
empire ? 

A. After frequent straggles with France, 
in which the contest was various, they were 
in the year 1812, invaded by .Bonaparte at 
the head uf an immense army. He victori- 
ously advanced to Moscow, which he was 
quickly obliged to evacuate ; and in his re- 
treat, he was po furiously attacked by the 
Russians, that the greater part of his army 
was destroyed, and himself was eventually 
obliged to fly to France, whither the emper- 
or Alexander and his allies pursued him, and 
put an end to his domiaation. 

Turkey, 

67. Q. What is the origin of the Turks ? 
A. The Turks and Huns, who were de- 



65 

scendarits of the ancient Scythians, having 
estabhshed themselves in a track of Asia, 
called Georgia, or Turcomania, Othman, 
one oflheir princes, to whom the Ottoman 
empire owes its name and establishment, 
seized on B} thinia ; and fixing the seat of 
his government at Prussia, assumed the title 
of Sultan in 1300. 

68. Q. Of what religion are the Turks ? 

A. Mahometans ; so called from Mahom- 
et, an impostor, born at Mecca in Arabia, 
and who, in the year of Christ 622, declared 
himself the greatest and last of the prophets 
that God would send. 

69. Q,. Were his doctrines well receiv- 
ed? 

A. By promising his followers the speedy 
conquest and possession of </iis world, and a 
paradise of delight in the next, but more 
particularly by the sword, he extended his 
influence ; and his tenets are now professed, 
not only in Turkey, 'but in Arabia, Persia, 
6* 



66 

India, Barbary, Egypt, and in short, over e 
Jarge portion o( the old world. 

70. Q. Who are the Janizaries, who arc 
so often mentioned in Turkish history ? 

A. They are the guards of the Sultan's 
person, and were established by Amurath, 
grandson of 0*hman. 

71. Q,. By whom was Amurath succeed- 
ed ? 

A. By his son, B.tjazet, surnamed Ilder- 
im, or the Thunderbolt, who, after gaining 
many splendid victories, was at last defeat- 
ed and taken prisoner by Timur Bee, op 
Tamerlane, a prince of the Tartars. 

72. Q. What distinguished the reign of 
Mahomet 11. 

A. This Sultan, justly named the Great> 
besieged and took Constantinople, which has 
since been the seat of the Turkish empire ; 
and thus put an end to the Eastern empire 
of the Romans. 

73. Q. Was not Selim I. a warlike 
prince ? 



A, He certainly expended the limits of 
the empire by the coriq?.e«i of Egy[>f, and 
several countries of the East. 

74. Q. Is not Solymau 11. celebrated in 
history ? 

A. This prince, who received the appel- 
lation of the Magnificent, was unquestion- 
ably one of the greatest and most accom- 
plished of all the Sultans. He conquered 
the island of Rhodes, and added Hungary to 
his dominions, though not permanently. 
Selim II. his son and successor, distinguish- 
ed himself likewise, by besieging and taking 
Cyprus and Tunis. 

75. Q. Was the reign of Amurath II. 
distinguished ? 

A. He extended his dominions in various 
quarters ; but with him the general good 
fortune and power of the Turks seems to 
have declined. 

76. Ct. Were not some of his successori 
brought to a violent end ? 

A* lo Turkey, princes and subjects, have 



68 

frequently been put to death. The Jsin- 
zaries, who have long been the terror of those 
who oppose their interests, and whose dan- 
gerous ascendency will probably end in the 
total ruin of the state, have more than once, 
made and unmade Sultans. 

77. Q,. Did not Turkey suffer much from 
the Russians ? 

A. Under Mahomet V. and Mustapha III. 
the Russians have prevailed, and considera- 
ble sacrifices of territory have been made; 
nor has the tide of ill fortune, which has so 
long attended the Turkish affairs, yet turn- 
ed, but the whole fabric of empire seems 
hastening to ruin and desolation. 

78. Q,. Have there not been some revo- 
tions lately in Turkey I 

A. Selira III. who had filled the throne 
from 1789, was deposed by Mustapha IV. 
in 1 807 ; who, by another revolution in 1 808, 
was put to death, the Sultan Selim killed, 
and Mahomet, raisedito the dignity of Sultan. 
The influence of France has for some years 



69 

liad a fatal effect on the Turkish councils, 
and probably will precipitate the long ex- 
pected catastrophe. 

Of America, 

79. Q,. Who first discovered the continent 
of America ? 

A. It was first discovered by Christopher 
Columbus, who made three voyages to that 
part of the globe, at the end of the fifteenth 
century. It received its name from a Flor- 
entine adventurer, named Amerigo Vespuc- 
ci, who published the first account of it in 
1499. 

80. Q,. What are the principal divisioDB 
of America? 

A. Canada, Nova Scotia, United States, 
Florida, Mexico, Peru and Chili, Brazil, 
and Guiana. The French in 1525, took pos- 
session of Canada, but did not establish a 
colony, till A. D. 1608; when they founded 
the city of Quebec- The French were dis« 
poB&essed of this territory, by the finglislv* 



70 

under general Wolfe, at the battle of Que- 
bec, in 1759. James the first of England, 
conferred Nova Scotia on Sir William Alex- 
ander in 1622. From that time, to IT 10, it 
was possessed sometimes by the French, and 
at other times by the English, to whom 
it at present belongs. 

81. Q. What nation peopled the United 
States ? 

A. The United States were peopled by 
the English at different periods. They were 
formerly subject to their mother country ; 
but after a long and destructive war, 
which commenced 1776, they secured 
their independence. They again declared 
war against England in 1812; in this con- 
test, both nations suffered much, and gained 
little. 

82. Q. When was Louisiana discovered ? 
The French discovered it in 1683, and 

kept possession of it till 1803, when it was 
incorporated in the United States. Florida 
.was discovered by the Spaniards, in 1513. 



71 

but was not subdued till 25 years afterwards. 
They sold it to the United States in the 
present year. 

83. Q,. Who discovered Mexico ? 

Thfe Spaniards sent an expedition under 
the command of Ferdinando Cortes, in 1517, 
to Mexico, which had been discovered by 
their countrymen in the preceding year. 
After a war of three year's duration, they 
completely subdued it ; and it remains in 
their possession at the present time. 

84. Q,. When did the Spaniards take pos- 
session of Peru and Chili ? 

A. Three adventurers, of whom Fran- 
cisco Pizarro was the chief, having been in- 
formed that a wealthy empire existed at the 
south-east of Darien, undertook to subdue 
this country with only 164 men, without 
proper arms. In about 20 years, they made 
themselves masters of it, and rendered it 
subject to Spain, 1548. 

85. Q,. When was Brazil discovered ? 
A. Alvarez Cabral, a Portuguese, acci- 



72 

dentally discovered it in a voyage to the 
East Indies, A. D. 1500. About 50 years 
afterwards they built the city of St. Salva- 
dor. It has remained under the power of 
Portugal ever since ; and when the French 
invaded that country in 1 807, the royal fam- 
ily and court retired hither for safety* 
There is very little known of Guiana ; it is 
subject to Portugal. 

The South Americans have been strug- 
gling many years against Spanish tyranny ; 
and much blood has been shed in the cause 
of liberty. Some of the provinces are now 
declared independent, and the rest vill nc^ 
doubt, soon follow their example. 



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